Manufacture of flake mica from mica plates, crystals, or nodules.



'1L-0. NHGHELL.A MICA FRoM MICA PLATES, APPLICATION FILED OUTr B,.1901.'

Mmmm 0G12. 2, 1906.

CRYSTALS', 0R NQDLBS.

MANUFAGTURE 0E' BLAKE v 5 SHEETS-31153122..

I Zffwfezziff 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1L.

PATLNTLD w12, 1906. y 4 A H. o. MLGHLLL. A MANA-UFA'GTURL or FLALLL MICAPROM MICA PLATES, CRYSTALS, 0R MODULES.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.8. 190.1.

I H. C. MICHELL. MANUFACTURE QF FLAXKE MICA FROM MICA PLATES, CRYSTALS,0R NUDULES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.B. 1901.

- trical and other purposes. n

the mica plates are treated in the improved t i 4 A l I T '2* i 4 Urtatihlli 'a FFSE.

HENRY COLBECK MCHELL,'QF LQNDN, EGIAND. MNUFACTURE FLAKE lillCFlllrlflvlli PLATES.' CliiSl'llLS, (lll NGDllLES.

rie. eeaeee.

Specification of Letters Eatent. i

' :Patented Get. 1906.

mica plates, crystals, or nodules, (hereinai-- yter called inica'plates/l more particularly from mica plates that are .oi too small asize or of too inferior av qualityfior the production therefrom ofsl-ieet-mica of the size and quality ordinarily required in commerce forelec- For this purpose manner and bythe means hereinafter' describedwith reference to and shown in the accompanying illustrative drawings,wlzieifeinbending-rollsfanid an inclined conveyor and' horizontalcarrier whereby the mica plates after passing through the said first setof rolls can be raised and delivered to a second set of 'bending-rolls.Fig. 3 shows in crosssection and to a larger scale than Fig. 2 one ofthe pairs of bending-rolls shown in that iigure. Fig. a is a similarview to Fig. 2, showing a chute with a seconll set of `bendingrolls andan upwardly-inclined conveyer and lateral chute. Fig. 5 shows, partly inside el8- vation and partly in longitudinal vertical sect-ion, another'chute with a third set of bending rolls, an upwardly inclined conveyor,and splitting and separating mechanisin whereby the mica plates can,after being subjected to a preliminary bending 'treat nient, be split soas to detach the laminee composing "such mica plates more or lessr fromeach other and separate the inical'lakes from insuiliciently splitportions ci the plates. is a plan showing how vapparatus oic the kindshown in Figs. l to 5, in-

elusive,` can conveniently be arranged for causing the material to betreated after being raised and delivered to the chute of the firstfurther treatment.

Figure 1g shows in side elevation an ini' clined way and means whereby awagon con set of rolls to pass automatically through the severalportions oi appaiatuaythe said gure also showing means forreturninjpartlyl-srlit g-ro s' or 6o mica plates te some of the ben ,Fig7 shows in plan a inodilied form of bending-roll. l' vAccording to thisinvention the mica plates,

preferably after being iirst thorouglly dried,

as by spreading them over a large si ace in a dryingroom heated to asulticiently 'hi l1.

temperature to expel all moisture, are. su jected to a preliminaryopening fir-.loosening treatment whereby the laminaJ of mica are more orless separated from each other. For this purpose the mica plates areraisede-as, 'for exam le, by a wagon 0, drawn u we. by eord-and-pulleytackle c-and alzlowed to fall down an inclined chute or way d,

lFig. 2, and pass by gravity between a pair of rolls e, that are of thefull width oli the chute an inclined and are formed with corrugatedperipheries, l

the'groovesf and alternate ridges gbeing :arn ranged longitudinallyolfthe rolls 'and so formed, as shownin Fig. 3, that the ridges g on oneroll will fit loosely in the grooves j in L vthe opposite roll ci thepair. The pair oi rolls e are prossedgtogether by springs tand are. soarranged and set that when the .mica

plates fall between them such plates will 'be firmly gripped between therolls, in passing between which they will lbe subjected to a bendingaction whereby the edges of" the mica laminas composin the mica plateswill be more or less loosene vand partly separated from each other. Themica plates mayt pass in succession througliseveral pairs of spring-4.

pressed corrugated rolls e ol the kind "dei" scribed, constituting a setof rollsg'in order to f, y ,4

increase the extent to which the laminee or Hakes ot mica shallvl'ieco'ine loosened' or" separated from each other. '.[Convenientl'ythere may be three pairs of springepr'essed i rolls in the set, as inthe eiiainpleshown in Fig. 2, the grooves f'havin'ge pitch ci of rollsbeing pressedtogether with sufficient force to insure that the mica`'plates in passing between them shall become bent to' a considerableextent, The mica plates after being thus treated are again raised, as byan endless conveyer lc, Fi 2, upon which they fall from' the last pairo? rolls e and are caused to fall by gravity into another chute m, Fig,l, chron h which they are .fed between one or more e ditional pairs ofgrooved or corru- Io about one and a quarter inchesiand a. depth i ofabout three-quarters of 'an inch, each pair gated rolls e', (three pairsare showin) the grooves in which are of less pitch and depth than thosein the preceding rolls c, whereby a further loosening of the laminar ofmica is el'- fected. Conveniently the grooves 'in the rolls e vin thiscase may have a pitch otabout three-quarters of au inch and a depth of'about half an inch, the rolls beingpresfwd together either bygrzltvitj,"alone or by gravity and springs li with sullicient force to insure thatthe mica plates in passing between them shall become bent to aconsiderable extent. '.lhe partly loosened and opened Inlca plates areagain raised, as by an endless conveyer n, Fig. 4, and allowed to fallthrough a chute e, Fig. 5, and between one or more further pairs ofgrooved rolls e, (three pairs are shown,) that are pressed together andthe grooves in which are of about the same pitch and de )th as thegrooves in the last .precedf ing` rolls e. 'lhe munber o times the micaplates are raised and allowed to fall between pairs of corrugated rollsand the pitch and depth of the grooves in such rolls can be varied tosuit the particular quality ol' the micaplates being dealt with, theobjmztsought in each case being to loosen or separate the laminve orflakes of mica to a considerable extent.

'lhe'niica plates after being subjected to the lclimlnary bendingtreatment above de seri ed are then subjected to the. flaking processproper. For this purpose the said plates are raised, as by an end-lesseonveyer p, ["ig.

5, and caused to fall tlatwise through an inelincd chute l into anvinclined chamber r, (hereinafter called for distinction the "fialeing-chamber,) wherein they are caught by and subjected to the action olla blast o1" air,

that causes the loosened lamime of mica to rliitary fan or blower fu,whereby air at a pressure of, say, about half a pound to the square inchis caused to enter such chamber-and impinge in such a. manner upontluwinica,

plates falling into it as to separate the partly opened or loosenedlanuna-y ol' mica l'rom each other to a greater or less extent, and soproduce the required flaked mica.

' 'lbe lower end-ol the llaking-chamber fr may be provided willi .anenlarged cylindrical extension in, from one side of which themica-millet opening .w extends and in which is mounted to rotate acylinder fe, the circuinference of' which is' provided withlongitudinallyarranged vanes or blades y, against which the blast of airpassing through theflaking-chamber r acts. rl`he cylinder is therebycaused to rotate in the direction indi cated by the arrow and carry themore or less opened mieaplates and the separated laminae of micaaround'between it and the wall of the c 'lindrical' extension y1.o anddeliverl them to t ie outlet s, whence-they fall into the splitting andseparating chamber t below, the rsaid' mica plates and lamina*l inthelrpassage through the space z between the rotary cylinder :c andcylindrical extension w beingpresented edgewise to the blast of air,whereby the division of the plates into laminze or flakes isfacilitated.

"lhe splitting and separating chamber t, into which the more or lessflalced material falls, ismade of comparativelylarge size and is dividedinto front and rear rempartments l and 2, respectively, byy anintermediate vertical wall or division that serves as a bailleplate andis capalile of being adjusted vertically, as by weighted cords 4, shaft5, and handle n, so edge '3" and the top el' the chamber t and betweenthe two compartments l and 2 thereof an opening Y, the height and sizeof' which can be varied according to the Vlineness of the mica flakesrequired. 'lhe 'more or less linked material inlalling into the rearcornpartment l oll the splitting and separating chamber will `be acted umn by the current ol' air passing through such chamber in such a manneras to become further split thereby s to form between its upper IOO andso that the lighter portions ol the mica.

lamina or flakes will be carried hirward'by the air-current anddelivered over the bailleplate 3 into the front-compartment 2, whereinthey will be collected, while the heavier piecesei' imperectly-separatedlaminar or flakes of mica will lialll to the bottom of the i rearcompartment l from vwhich they are removed and returned to one or moreaddi tional sets of corrugated rolls to he further subjected to anopening or loosening treatment. By increasing the height o.- the b'affleplate 3 the degree of iineness ofA the mica flakes obtained will beii'icreased, while by reducing the'height of the said baltle-plate aeoarser quality oi' mica flakes will be ob tained. 'lo facilitate theremoval of the imperfectly-divided material from the rear compartment]of the chamber' t, the rear Wall 8 of such compartment' may, as shown,be made concave andl slope downward toward a traverse-conveyor fl,arranged adjacent to the rear side of the baiilesplate 3, so 'that thesaid in'iperlectly-divided'material will fall upon such conveyer and heautomatically removed either continuously or intermit tently, as may bedesired.

'lhe 'iront compartment i of 'the chamber 1'. is provided at the topwith an outlet covered with a screen il), that 'will permit of thechamber by the air-current can be collected.`

The larger flakes, collected in the front comartinent l, may,whendesired, be crimped y passing them between a pair o f crimpingeApparatusl for carrying out/the manufacture of Aflake mica in the mannerhereinbe fore described can be constructed and arranged in variousways.lIn the arrangement shown in Fig. there are two inclined ways l),

like that shown in Fig.' l, u each of which a wagon c, loadedv with.the' ried mica plates,

can be suitably hauled, as by the cord-andm pulley taclrle c, and nearthe top and to one side of which-is or may be arranged adumping-platform or laterally-arranged chute, on or into which the micaplates can be deliveredor directed toward the upper end of thedownwardly and forwardly'extending chute' 'd of the portion of theapparatus shown separately in Fig. 2, and near the lower end of whichchute is the first set of corrugated rolls c, through which the micalates from the wagons te are allowed to fall) by gravity, or the micaplates may be feed by hand from the wagons to the chute d. Travelingbelow the lowest pair of these rolls e is the upwardly and forwardlyinclined endless conveyor lc, irovided with transverse slats orprojections l", by which the partly bent and. opened mica plates arecarried upward and forward and delivered onto a transverselyerrangedcon-v veyer l2, which travels toward the top of the rearwardly anddownwardly' inclined chute "m,

i of the portion of the apparatus shown separately in Fig. 4, and nearthe lower portion of which chute is the second set of corrugated rollse. Traveling below the sets of rolls e is ano ther upwardly andforwardly inclined end less conveyor n, provided with transverse slatsor projections nx, by which the mica 'plates after passing),r throughthe second set of rolls eare carried forward and upward and deliveredinto a doul ly-inclined transversely- I i arranged chute i4, by whichthe material divided into two streams and delivered into each of twobackwardly and downwardly inclined chutes 0 of apparatus of the kindshown separately in Fig. 5, provided'near the lower portion with thethird set of corrugated rolls e2. Traveling below each of the third setof rolls e2 is the upwardly and forwardly inclined endless conveyer p,that delivers the opened` and loosened mica plates into the back wardlyand downwardly inclined chute q, below the lower end of which isarranged a flaking-chamber r and splitting and separating chamber t,constructed and arranged as hereinbefore described and provided with afan o.

tions'into two chutes o', each or' which is provided with a set ofbending-rolls and has an upwardly and forwardly inclined conveyor v,delivering,r into a chuteg' of allaking-chamlier arrange above and inconnection with a splitting and separating chamber t', all of t i eseparts being similar to those of the opposite or main set of chutes,bending-rolls, and

conveyors hereinbefore described. Extending 'transversely across thelower end of the rear compartment of each ofthe splittingT andseparating chambers t t is a common endless band or conveyor theupper-cart of which moves in the direc tion indicated by the arrow andthe outer end of which terminates above the lower end. of an upwardlyand baclrwardlyinclined endless conveyor 16, that delivers onto one endof a horizontal transversely-arranged endless carrier or conveyer l?,the other end of which delivers, it may be, through a chute, onto oneend of a forwardly and upwardly inclined endless conveyer i8,that'delivers into the upper part of the chute fm of the duplicate setof bending and. conveying apparatus. By the arrangement described tn estream of mica plates fed into the 'lirst chute d are subjected tosuccessive bending in opposite directions in passing through the severalsets of rolls e e el, being gradually carried forward andi finallydivided into two streams that are delivered into the two flalting andseparating chambers lr and t, wherein the partly-onened plates aresplitup `more or less into flalies, which are se arated from the heavierpieces-'of imperfect y-split mica and carried. forward to the frontcompartments of the chambers t. The heavier pieces of imperfectly-splitmica arrested in the rear compartments of the chambers t t fall onto thetransverse conveyor 9, by which they are conveyed to the exterior of thechambers and delivered onto the conveyer l5, so as to be delivered bythis conveyer and the conveyors 17 and 18 to the chute lm of theduplicate set of bending, conveying, and llalring and se aratingapparatus, so as to be subjected to nrther treatment tb erein.

In some cases the tra-naverselyharranged endless conveyor l2 may bereplaced by a transverseljarrangcil do ably-inclined chiite, like le,arranged to deliver into the cineos at lm of the' two sets of bending,conveying, linking, and separating apparatus beyond the into im;sti'cains, nach, cl which passss nn io its own llalcingf and separatingchamhci' t oi ln this casi; thc linavy inv/vs ol"iniIici'l'rr-.tly-spli, mica a'ltmmnn'wal L/ may hf: suhjlrtml toii'l'lwi'ticatnimi,insw i'atcapparatus. Tho width nl thc (finitos andcorzwapnmling i'olls nml min'vcyfis may, as shown, hc ci simenssivnlj;lss 'width tn snit thc piopnition of thc, original sticsim ol' micaplates passingF hi'onffh them.

ln sonne cv, insiemi nl usinga mn'rnggatml rolls rolls ioimml with pmiwtinnslaml cfn'i'- spomlingf spins-s nr iis:;i\s ma),Y hir nsml forth!l pi'irposn ol' :ic-ting upon lh() mica phitns and npcningf anflloosoningf thc ylaminncwiir which thvy an@ compos-wl. Thus, as shnwn inFig, 7, nach roll maj.' lic lomml with lungi-- liulinalrows ol' llwlhoi' pz'ojwlinns 2U, spscml spant an'nnll thv Voll with simrf-s 2lVhctwcvn"thmtooth oipr'nliwl inns in nach 'ow. Thc mica llalwspi'fwlliwil in lhc mannci hvniinhcl mi (lcsri-ihml can hc uscfl loi'Vari-- ons 1; niposcs. Tho); ma)v advanlagcnnsly lic nsml in thvmanufactura o' nonwonflnoting f'nwiinggs, hloclis, and slzilis,accoli'ling lo thc snhjcvt-matlm ol" .annlhr-f' application 'orlinttvi's llnlcnt filial h5; mo ol @von (lac hcwwith, iii'iiil filo.

lt will nu cvidont that various changvs can ln mmh; in Vthc (lntails ol'conslrnclion nl' my apparatus without flipar-ling h'nm ihn scopi, andspix'it olmy invfntion sn long; as tlnx mo lc oiicipiiation(liisf'i'ilwfl in ihn si'uicijical'ion or thc ijclalivcai'rai 'cinfntnlpai'tsshown in thil drawings is pi'cslr'vcrl, v

iin clafimis 'nm'c pivscnlml lo lhf impi'iwwl innlhnll olmannlaf'tni'ing llalwr mica iloscri'nml in thv pi\ '.f' lingspcz'ilicaion,l nl thu claims aw all (liawn tu apparatus mlnptcfl tocaii'yv ont snail: mclhoil, claims l'oi which will ,his malin in anothclapplication.

llvhal, l claim is -r i l ppai'atns hn' the mannl'actnfc oll llalzc mical'i'om mica plains, mimpi'ising Unc or moi'i pairs ol hmnling--rollgmcans loi' conducting th(` mica platos hltxwon said rolls, a

linking-chamlixi proviillfl with an inlctchutn inclinnfl to thel lengthnl' sairl chamiwi', moans l'oi' cnnvvyiiig;` loosonml anfl partlyopencflmica plains from sairl rolls and intro- (lncinpf thcm into said'ins'linml nlmtc and llaliiig-chamhc'i, mians lo? forcing a blast nl ail'into saifl laliing--chanihm', anrl a splitting and scpaz'alingg chamhifrin commnnication with saizl Making-chamlim'.

'3. ln a'ipaiatns lni thc mannl'actmc ol' llalic mica l'ionx micaplains, tlin combination with moans l'oi scpaiatin'g thc laminatl ol'thv mica, ol'A n, halting-chamhm having an inlcl. for' partly loosenedand nimm-ail mica platos,

moans loi forcing: a lila-st nl alf into said flakii'ig-r ,hiim` ::-i,and azsplitting; and separating chainher in communication with Said lalingchainl'wi, snlislanially as described.

Il. .lnapparatnsfurthemanufactureofllalie mica from mica platos, thecombination with means l'oi" svpa'iating the lamina; ol" the mica, o" aMaking-chamhm, n'mans for introducing a hlast nl ail into saidhalting-chainhe'i, and a splii ing' and separating chanihei' cnmpiisingtwo coinpartnmnts that aic in connnnnica.- tion with each other and withsaid llakingchamhox and have a vnticallysmljiistahle wall hctwncn tlicm,substantially fle-v sci'ihwl forth@ purpose spccilind.

4. ln an apparatus lni' the n'iannlac'tnm of' llalw mica, thi:vomnimitinn of a plurality 0f pairs oi l cn ling1'nlls, allaking-chamber, incans im' f'onvvying plains o? mica from one, ypaix'ol" mills to anohci' and 'rnm tho last pail' fil thc sii'ios to saiilchamlici, means Ici' creating a lilast of air through saidl chamlwl; andmnans for 'moving the, platvs of mica through said chamhci with the(algas of the laminas thsicol' exposed directly tn tha action ol saidblast.

ln anv apparatus for the mannlfactine 0l' ilakny mica, thc combinationnl: means for opening np and sv'paialini,r the laininzn of mi 'a platos,a 'linking-chamher, means for .:icatinif a-l last nl air through saidchainher, means xox' conveyingr the )lates from Said separating moans tnsaii'l chainl'icl, and mlans loi" convnving thc platos through. saidchamlwi' with tlc separated edges o? their laminaicxposofl to tlmaivhlast.

f3. l 'i an ap )aatns for the: manufacture of llaln mica, thocomhinatinn of means fox' opening np and separating the lamina@ 0l micaplains, a 'llaking-chamber, moans for croat ing a lilast oli" airthrough said chamber, iiwaiis Por cnnvcying the plates liin'm Saidsnpaialmg mcans to said chan'ihcr, and a. 10- lai'y cari-im' adapted toreceive said. plates and carry thcm through the chamber with thcsnpai'atcd edges ol their lamin exposed to tl c alI-'| last.

7. An apparatus for reducing mica to flake form comprising means forlonsening thelamna; nl' 'ihn mica, means 'fnl' applying a blast to thcmica after tho laminas have linen loosened to scpaiatc the lalios, andmeans for autnmatically separating the. flalied material l'fom thatwhich remains unlakcd after the hlast has linen appliod, i

An apparatus for rcdncing mica t0 flake lioi'm comprising; moansforloosoningthel mna: of the mica, moans for applyinga lilast to thomica al'tii thc lamina have, linnn loosened lo snpax'atc thv lak'cs,mcans for automaticallyv sopai'atinpr thvy llakoil material from thatwhich innmins unllakml after the blast 'has havn applied, and means forrotnrning the mica which romains unllakcd to thi: loosen- 91; Anapparatus for reducing mica to flake form comprising means for bendingor corrugating the sheets to loosen and open the laminee, means forapplying a blast to the mica after it has been -opened to se arate theflakes, and means for automatieal y separating the laked material fromthat which reoorrugating the sheets to loosen and open the lamin, meansfor applying a blast to the apparatus for reducing mica to l'.

-mea 'after it has been opened to separate the flakes, means forautomatically separating i 5 the laked material from that which remainsunlaked after the blast has been applied, and means for returning theunllaked material to the bending means.

Instestimony whereof I affix my signature zo in presence of tWowitnesses.

HENRY COLBECK MCHELL. l Witnesses: f

' ROBERT WATSON,

C. A; NEALE.

